Schedule of the visit by Patriarch Irinej and members of the Holy Synod to Great Britain in October 2016

Dear Orthodox brothers and sisters and all people of good will,

It is with great joy that we announce the visit of the First Hierarch of our holy Serbian Orthodox Church to the diocese of Great Britain and Scandinavia, the deanery of Britain and Ireland and the cities of London and Birmingham.

His Holiness Patriarch Irinej, Metropolitan of Belgrade and Karlovac, Archbishop of Pec and Patriarch of Serbia will be arriving on Wednesday 12 October 2016. Following the example of Christ Himself, he comes to us his people that he might bestow upon us his holy patriarchal blessing and have us partake of the Holy Body and Blood of Christ Our Lord. He comes to us as the announcer of good news, to bring to us the beneficial evangelical word that we might quench our thirst for spiritual knowledge and our desire for a righteous way of life. The Patriarch arrives in the capacity of symbol and zealous preacher of the unity at home and abroad of our Holy Church and Serbian people which is so necessary in this era of self-love and selfishness. He comes to be by our side that we might feel the love of our Church and be given by him the blessing of Christ in which resides the power of the Holy Spirit.

His Holiness with other members of the Holy Synod arrives at the invitation of the Anglican church and Archbishop of Canterbury, the Rt Revd Justin Welby, in order to mark the centenary of the memorable speech in St. Paul's Cathedral, made at Anglican invitation by Saint Bishop Nikolaj during the difficult years of the First World War. Saint Bishop Nikolaj's speech at that place represented the first occasion on which a non-Anglican had ever been honoured by invitation to speak at St. Paul's Cathedral.

Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord

Schedule of the visit by His Holiness Patriarch Irinej of Serbia and the delegation of the Serbian Orthodox Church to Great Britain

12 - 18 October 2016

Wednesday 12 October

Arrival of Patriarch and delegation of SOC to London

Doxology at 18:00 - Welcome of Patriarch Ireney in the church of St. Sava
Reception with drinks and canapes from 18:30-19:30 in the Bishop Nikolaj hall

Friday 14 October

Patriarch's Sermon at 17.00

His Holiness Patriarch Ireney of Serbia will deliver his own sermon during Vespers in St Paul's Cathedral (St. Pauls Cathedral, St. Pauls Churchyard, London, EC4M 8AD) at the same place where St Nikolaj delivered his famous sermon a hundred years ago.

Saturday 15 October